Dr. Betta Edu cutting the tape commissioning the houses.
Under the “Renewed Hope” agenda, the Federal Government has made available 40 houses in Resettlement City to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at Gidan Dawa area of Gusau in Zamfara State.
The Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu who made the presentation of the 40 houses built by the Refugees Commission to the IDPs, said President Bola Tinubu’s administration has expressed its commitment to address pressing humanitarian challenges in the country including providing decent homes for IDPs.
A press release by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Minister, Rasheed Olanrewaju Zubair, at weekend, recalled that several persons were displaced in Zamfara, including a visibly old mother of four who was thrown out of their abode as a result of banditry attacks in their communities and lived with her grand children and community in the forest for months
But their stories have however changed with the new homes given to them by President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope intervention from the Refugee commission.
The Minister said President Tinubu is determined to provide more shelter to IDPs across the country, stressing that a new dawn has berthed and their story will change moving forward.
Edu who made the presentation to the Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, in the presence of the High Federal Commissioner Hon. Tijani Ahmed called on the international communities, private establishments and public spirited individuals to support humanitarian response in the state.
“This Resettlement City Project is not just a physical endeavour; it is a beacon of hope for the beneficiaries and the State. We are going to provide more lighting to this environment to further illuminate this new city as part of security measures, this is with immediate effect”, she said.
Responding to the Governor’s request to build more homes and cities for the IDPs in other parts of the Senatorial district, the Minister said; “Mr Governor, all you need to do is to provide us with land and other requirements at the state level that will enable us to build as requested”.
In his remarks, the Governor commended the federal government for her interest in the security situation of the state saying, “Zamfara is in dire need of support. The provision of an IDP resettlement
facility in the State Capital, Gusau, is indeed a welcome development. We appreciate the collaborative efforts of the Federal Government in alleviating the suffering of our people. In this regard, the Government and the good people of Zamfara state remain grateful for this kind gesture.
“We request for more support particularly, we request that the Honorable Minister use her good offices to construct two more of these projects, one each in the remaining two zones, Zamfara North and West Senatorial Districts. This is to fulfil the initial plan of these vital intervention projects,” the Governor said.
On his part, the Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees Migrants and IDPs, Alhaji Tijjani Aliyu Ahmed, said the handing over of the houses was part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu which underscores the paramount importance of the welfare of Internally Displaced Persons in his government.
He said with the Minister’s approval, more programmes, projects and opportunities will come to the state under his Commission.
